site.btaSki Jumper Zografski after 10th Place on Large Hill: "Solid Result, But Missed Chance Leaves Bitter Taste"

Vladimir Zografski secured a historic 10th-place finish on the large hill in Predazzo, marking the best-ever Olympic result for a Bulgarian ski jumper. The previous top performance for Bulgaria was Zografski's 14th place on the normal hill at PyeongChang 2018.

The 32-year-old athlete was sixth after the first round but could not improve with his second jump, leaving him with mixed emotions following the competition.

"At the Olympics, only medals count. I made a very good first jump. I didn't feel nervous afterwards. I knew what I had to do in the second round – I had to take a 110% risk. Unfortunately, I made a mistake: I jumped a bit earlier than I should have. At the Olympics, whether you finish fourth or 24th makes no real difference; as I said, only medals matter," he commented after the final.

"The result is solid, but the feeling is not very pleasant when you've missed a chance. Still, 10th place is not bad at all in one of the most demanding winter sports, with huge competition. Right now, I feel a mix of emotions," he added.

Zografski finished 32nd on the normal hill in Predazzo five days ago, failing to qualify for the second round. He said a problem with his suit was the reason for that unsatisfactory result.

"After reviewing my performance on the normal hill, we realized there was a problem with the suit, which prevented me from reaching my full potential. It was bad luck for me because I usually feel more comfortable and stronger on the normal hill. I missed a huge opportunity there, I could even have won a medal," the Bulgarian said.